NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
                           MORNING REPORT

To:        All National Park Service Areas and Offices

From:      Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office

Day/Date:  Friday, September 16, 1994

Broadcast: By 1000 ET

INCIDENTS

87-x - Channel Islands (California) - Follow-up on Marine Resources Case

On September 12th, the United States Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit, filed
a ruling affirming the decision of a district court which had previously
ruled in favor of the government and denied the appeals of the four
remaining defendants in a 1987 case dealing with theft of marine
archeological resources from the park.  At that time, an investigation and
undercover operation by park rangers on a dive boat off the park's islands
led to the citing of 19 individuals and one corporation with 53 violations
of state and federal criminal and civil laws.  To date, all charges but one
have been successfully prosecuted in favor of the government.  The four
remaining defendants face individual civil penalties that range from $1,000
to as high as $100,000.  It does not appear likely that the matter will be
heard by the Supreme Court.  The Ninth Circuit ruling on this case has major
significance both within the circuit and nationally; it establishes
precedent for the protection of submerged cultural resources in national
parks and marine sanctuaries.  If you would like a copy of this ruling, send
a cc:Mail message to Jack Fitzgerald at Channel Islands.  [Jack Fitzgerald,
CHIS, 9/16]

94-555 - Great Smokies (North Carolina/Tennessee) - Drug Eradication

Between August 1st and 10th, aerial marijuana surveillance operations were
conducted utilizing helicopters from the Second Army, Glenview Naval Air
Station and the Tennessee Army Air National Guard.  Fourteen cultivation
sites were located in Tennessee. and a total of 193 plants were removed and
destroyed.  On September 6th and 7th, surveillance operations at another
site were suspended and 123 sensimilla plants were eradicated.  Four other
sites were also found and another 103 plants were destroyed.  Altogether,
rangers have eradicated a total of 651 plants this year, with a combined
estimated market value of more than $800,000.  Additional operations over
the next few weeks will likely lead to the destruction of more plants. 
[Jason Houck, CR, GRSM, 9/15]

FIRE ACTIVITY

1) PREPAREDNESS LEVEL - III

The national preparedness level has dropped from Level IV to Level III.

2) LARGE FIRE SUMMARY

                                                                    %   Est
State    Area               Fire             IMT     9/14     9/16 Cont Cont

 MT    Glacier NP       North Fork Cx         --    5,353    5,370  60  NEC
       Lewiston Dis.    Windy Point           T2    4,217    4,217  85  9/17
       Miles City Dis.  Red Knob              --    1,500    1,500  NR  9/13
  
 ID    Boise NF         Idaho City Cx         T1  154,100  154,100  60  NEC
                        Thunderbolt           T2   21,000   21,000  50  9/20
       Payette NF       Corral Creek -
                         Blackwell Cx         T1  148,400  148,400  50  NEC
                        Chicken Cx            T1   91,925   92,100  40  NEC
       Caribou NF       Tin Cup Cx            --    1,950    1,950  80  9/19

 UT    Uinta NF         Trojan II             T2    2,950    2,950  90  9/14
       State            Echo                  --    1,250    1,250  80  9/13
       State            Heiner                --    1,800    1,800  95  9/13

HEADING NOTES:

     Fire     Asterisk indicates newly reported fire (on this report). Cx =
              complex.
     IMT      T1 = Type 1; T2 = Type II; ST = State Team.
     % Con    Percent of fire contained.
     Est Con  Estimated containment date.  NEC = no estimated date of
              containment; CND = fully contained; NR = no report.

3) FIRES YESTERDAY -

                NPS     BIA      BLM     FWS    States     USFS      Total

Number            1       0        2       0        38       23         64
Acres Burned      1       0        0       0        81       55        137

4) COMMITTED RESOURCES -

               Crews     Engines     Helicopters     Airtankers     Overhead

Federal          166       128           50               7          1,087
Non-federal       31        50           66               0            903

5) COMPARATIVE SUMMARY -
                                      CY 1994            Five Year Average
                                    Year-to-Date           Year-to-Date

Number of Fires                        60,143                  56,533     
Acres Burned                        3,514,270               2,315,665

6) OVERALL SITUATION - Although several fires in Montana and Idaho will
likely be more active over the next several days due to prevailing weather
conditions, efforts to contain them are progressing.

7) NPS SITUATION - Great Basin reported extreme fire danger on Wednesday;
Yellowstone, Sequoia-Kings Canyon, and Cumberland Island reported very high
fire dangers.

* Yellowstone - The Robinson fire was reportedly 100% contained at 1,800
acres on Wednesday.

* Yosemite - The Tiltill fire was detected Wednesday afternoon on the north
rim above Hetch-Hetchy dam.  The terrain was too steep to land firefighters
and was put into confinement strategy.  The quarter-acre fire was hit with
bucket drops in order to retard any spread to the south and to prevent fire
from falling off into the Tuolumne Canyon.  All other lightning caused fires
have been controlled.

8) OUTLOOK - No significant increase in activity is forecast.

[NIFCC Incident Management Situation Report, 9/16; Dean Berg, NPS Branch of
Fire and Aviation Management, 9/15]

RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

No field reports today.

OPERATIONAL NOTES

No notes.

MEMORANDA

No memoranda.

Prepared by the Division of Ranger Activities, WASO, with the cooperation
and support of Delaware Water Gap NRA.